On Repeat
by RideBoldlyRide
Summary: A day can feel like a lifetime. But what if a day becomes a lifetime? A day full of life changing events- if you could change them, would you? And if you did, what will it do to you? rebelcaptain Rogue One Fix-it. Inspired by Edge of Tomorrow (it'd help if I remembered the movie title right.)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: this is a bit short, but it's just to get started, and setting up the story. More to come- please please please review or PM me. I love constructive criticism

The brilliant oranges intensified to yellows to white. Surprisingly none of the heat, or the pain expected came with it. The light grew and grew, burning her eyes, blinding her. She could feel Cassian's arms still around her, his nose buried into her shoulder, and her tight grip on him, her hands clutching to his back. The explosion was now just color, and that color was bleaching to white. As the color washed away, Cassian's grip slipped with it, and the more he slid away, the more Jyn clutched at him. She frantically clawed onto the remnants of what she could feel, for her eyesight had long become nothing but white. As Jyn felt the last bit of his grip slide away, she cried out for him, but felt her voice, the very air she breathed, pulled from her lungs. Then the white came crashing in to darkness.

 _Drip_.

 _Drip._

 _Drip_.

Tentatively, she pried one eye open, certain she would see nothing but white, or black. She expected death to come either as silence and sleep, forever sleep, or to be in glorious form, a bright white world, of mist, of family and friends long gone awaiting her. Jyn never quite knew which one to believe.

Her one open eye felt like she had stared too long at a sun. However, what she saw made no sense. This couldn't be death. So was she still alive?

Jyn stared in confused silence at a gray din ceiling, as the water continued to drip on her forehead. This ceiling was familiar. Slowly, the sounds around her came in to her consciousness. The not-so-subtle snore of Kennel her cellmate, the clatter of plasteel armor, the mechanic com chatter of her imprisioners, the metallic rattle of other prisoners rousting.

She slowly sat up, as though the weight of the galaxy rested on her shoulders. Her body ached, but it wasn't the ache of a warrior, from the climb, the wounds, the blaster fire, or the Death Star blast. Rather if was the soreness of a laborer in a prison camp, one who had slept on a bad cot for a few weeks.

How in all the nine Corellian hells did she end up back at Wobani? And in the same room as her old cellmate? After what she had done, she and Cassian, they should have had them before the gallows if they had even... _Cassian!_

In her panic, she stood up and raced to the jail cell gate. Jyn grabbed the stormtrooper passing directly in front of her gate by his shoulder joint affectively spinning him around.

"Where's Cassian?!" Her look must have startled him, for instead of blasting her immediately, (as Jyn realized a half-second after putting her thoughts into action, would have been a stormtrooper's normal reaction) he instead cocked his head to the side and said, "who?"

The sincerity in his voice startled her. Not sure of herself suddenly, she simply muttered a version of "never mind" and sat back down on her bunk. Everything was too familiar, to exact.

Jyn had done this before, been here before. Lived this before. It couldn't be, it must all just be a major case of deja'vu, and she would continue to serve out her sentence until she could find a way to escape. But Cassian, K2, Chirrut, Baze, Bodhi... they were just as tangible to her if not more than Kennel did, snoring across from her.

She settled down, deciding to wait it out. If it was real, she knew what would happen on their way to the worksite. So now there was nothing left to do but wait.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: and so we continue on. This one seems to like writing itself...

A single gray monstrosity of a transport stood in front of Jyn, where she was being directed to in her shackles. _What was it about gray that the Empire loved so much?_ she couldn't help but think to herself.

The wind kicked up the frozen sand particles, and especially spirited gusts would pelt them with particular force at the exposed prisoners. Being simultaneously chilling and painful, most of the prisoners kept their heads down, shuffling forward toward another bone-chilling day of hard work. While Jyn was never one to cower, to allow her captors to perceive any weakness or cracks in her spirit, even she knew she held herself straighter than before. She was fighting the urge to rush the prisoner before her, a broken man, hunched and weary.

Kennel behind her, snorted. "You in a rush to die, Hallik?" Somewhere in the back of her brain, she recalled Kennel's warning of her imminent death. Next time they were on a work crew together. And they were on a work crew together.

Suddenly, Jyn had a new reason to hope that all of what she remembered was real.

They all shuffled in and sat, she across from the weary man. The stormtroopers made the rounds, securing them each to the floor. Kennel propped herself against the wall, and promptly went back to her snoring. Even if she made it to the worksite, maybe Kennel wouldn't be such a hard fight to win...

The transport jolted forward. They had been the last stop for prisoners, and it was a straight ride to the site. Jyn leaned forward anxiously, occasionally glancing at the back door. Seconds passed. Then minutes. _It should be any time now_ , she thought to her self. Then the minutes stretched on. As they did, a sinking feeling began to set in.

A single stormtrooper finished his rounds on the prisoners, passed through security, and entered their assigned bunk. Once there, and the door securely locked, the trooper removed his helmet. Sergeant Melshi of the Rebel Alliance, and leader on a proposed jailbreak, shook his head, still startled by hearing Captain Andor's name. Cassian may be a fairly common name, but it rattled him. And when something happened to rattle him, like a mark potentially knowing more than they should, he tended to become more cautious. Pulling a com from a hidden pouch in his stormtrooper gear, he called in over a heavily secured channel.

 _Mark found. Potential leak. Delay till return trip._ He sent a data file, heavily encrypted to his superiors. They trusted his gut most of the time, and when their only response was _Confirmed_ , he knew they did this time as well.

Lianna Hallik, aka Jyn Erso, would have to wait a bit to be rescued.

They were long overdue. She felt the transport begin to slow, but knew this stop to be the worksite. It had been too long for it to have been the rebels. The sinking feeling that had started to form in her stomach became solid leaden weight when the door opened casually and the next set of stormtroopers entered and began unlatching their restraints from the floor. Led out into the entrance of the mine, far from any chance encounters with what counted as civilization on Wobani, Jyn shuffled in line with the rest, waiting for the shackles to be removed, and handed a tool for the task she was assigned. Her thoughts were distracted by the realization that it had all been a strange, vivid dream. She really was alone. No Chirrut to see clearly without his eyes. No Bodhi with a warm excitement. No K2 or Baze.

No Cassian.

Vaguely, she recognized that Kennel was on her particular crew. Jyn knew she should be cautious, wary of her cellmate. However, every time she started to grasp that this was reality, her mind ripped away, and in that moment she was on Jehda staring at her father's hologram; on Eadu clutching to him as he died in her arms; on Scarif, hearing K2's last words; seeing Cassian fall; clinging to him as they died. In each of those flashes she was there. The next, she was slinging a tool, having rocks break away- sling, break, sling, break. It was during the last of those moments of clarity, where her tool was in her hand, she felt it. A sharp excruciating pain, in her back. The instrument of pain was removed, and Jyn fell to her knees. It began to feel like she was breathing water, when she gagged violently and spit up blood. A sharp kick to her side easily rolled her to her back. As she saw Kennel swing her tool down on Jyn, her last thought was that she liked dying the other way better.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N : thank you all for your reviews! I hope I can live up to your expectations- here's number 3!

 _Drip_.

 _Drip_.

 _Drip_.

Her eyes shot open. With her heart still pounding in her chest, she willed her trembling body still. She didn't move to wipe the water away, and instead found herself scouring at the water's source. Jyn darkly wondered if she would be in perpetual loop until all the possible ways for her to die were spent. _Is this one of the levels of Hell? Gods, I hope not._

As all the sounds creeped in to her consciousness past the incessant dripping, she sat up, wiped the water from her forehead, and stared at Kennel across from her. Maybe, just maybe, if she smothered Kennel now, there wouldn't be a chance for the alien to kill her in the mines later. As she started to take action on her thoughts, she realized she had no stomach for it. She glanced out of her cell, and recognized that though the feelings from her memories were still poignant, the strength of the memories of Scarif and Eadu and Jehda were beginning to fade. As they started to, she tried to recall them even more. Each memory she tested, and each one started to crumble. One memory hung on, that still held some vividness. The smell of the beach, the solidity of Cassian's grip, the sand in her eyes. She hung on to that memory and awaited the stormtroopers to escort her to the transport.

While the day was the same as before, this particular interation felt slightly different. The march to the transport felt like the sky was pressing down on them. At this point Jyn didn't know what to expect over the next few hours. She could either be traveling to the worksite, only to die in another gruesome way at the hand of Kennel, or she could be rescued only to die at Scarif. Or something new entirely. At this point she was beginning to think that this fate definitely had the sound of a "level of Hell" sort of punishment.

As she was once again strapped into her place in the transport, she kept her head lowered, but entirely on alert. This time, if she made it to the worksite, she was not going to be caught unawares again. But she never made it there.

About halfway through the trip, the transport stopped. One of the stormtroopers stood up and turned to his partner.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Maybe to pick up more prisoners," his partner responded.

This was feeling more accurate to what Jyn remembered. A spark of hope lit, and she raised her head and watched with earnest the events next to unfold. Maybe this wasn't Hell after all.

"I thought we had all of the-"

The last response was cut short by the explosion which tore the back door off. Two blasts fired off through the smoke, and the stormtroopers stumbled backwards and fell, not to rise again.

Emerging from the cloud came a pair of men dressed in worn clothes. One turned to the other, and when they spoke, Jyn recognized the voice. Melshi.

"Which one?"

"Her, over there," the other one responded.

Melshi trotted over to her, "you want to escape?"

This time she nodded because if she spoke, it would have been to say his name. Last time she did something like that, she died at Kennel's hands.

As Melshi unlocked her, a sudden fear came over her. If she went willingly, it would change events, and maybe she'd die some other horrific way on this damned planet. Time to play the role.

The prisoner across from her raised his arms as far as he could and said, "Oy, me too!" Jyn took advantage of the same distraction, used it to kick Melshi into him, and transferred her momentum into grabbing and swinging the spade next to her into the second rebel. Silently, Jyn apologized, and paused to take a deep breath, knowing and bracing herself for what she remembered to be next.

She bolted-

-Straight into K2's outstretched arm.

With little effort, he raised her up and tossed her down like a toy, knocking the breath out of her.

"Congratulations! You're being rescued."

As she lay gasping for the air that escaped her lungs, Jyn couldn't help but smile.

"She's smiling! Melshi, why is she smiling?"


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: first off large portions of the dialogue is from memory, and due to the storyline being as it was, I wasn't too stressed even about the order in which it fell. Figured it was a little more true to character... thank you to all who have been leaving reviews, I love reading them! The suggestions have been wonderful, and I'm trying to implement them. But I do have to break a couple hearts... I seriously doubt Bill Murrays going to show up._

 _Thanks again! Please enjoy!_

The ride to Yavin 4 was mostly silent. They had once more put her in shackles, mostly due to the damage she had done. These ones, however oddly felt more comfortable despite the fact that Jyn was pretty certain they were the same model she was accustomed to on Wobani. It must have been the company. The company, on the other hand, did not seem to share her sentiment. Melshi couldn't sit back all the way, and the other Rebel fighter was babying a growing bruise and broken nose with a cold pack. K2, on the otherhand, was the same as always, with only the occasional snarky remark thrown back at the others. Most of his companion's responses were pain-filled grunts.

Despite this, K2 brought them in smoothly. As soon as they landed, they off-loaded her, and she was escorted in to the base proper.

Around her, the hanger was bustling as she remembered. So far so good. It looks the same. This time though, she recognized faces. Tonc, Sefla, Pao, Casido. Each face she saw had a name. A sudden chill washed over Jyn. The gravity of what would occur in a few days at Scarif began to sink in. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she entered the busy main hub. Looking as pompous as ever, General Draven scowled at her as she was escorted to her chair around the main table.

"Can we trust you without your restraints?"

Jyn sniffed and nodded- she remembered that it was his command that cost her father his life, and she hated him for it already. Draven gestured to one of her escorts and he bent down and released her.

"Forgery of Imperial documents, possession of stolen goods..." the General droned on about her previous offenses. She had heard this all before. As she sat rubbing her wrists where the shackles had abraded, a small flicker of movement caught her eye. It was unlike the rest of the bustle in the room. Slow and steady, it reminded her of a prowling nexu. Emerging ever so slightly from the shadows, the familiar features of Cassian Andor leaned back on a console, arms crossed, studying her intently. Jyn had to look away before her stare became obvious. She hadn't realized how long he had been there before. Or how closely he had studied her.

It had taken every bit of self-control not to bolt out of the chair and into Cassian's arms in that moment. The joy of seeing him alive was so great that she had to grip her chair to keep herself planted.

Jyn still wasn't sure where she stood with Cassian even after holding each other on the beach as death neared them. But maybe, just maybe, this time she might learn more about him- about all of her friends, but especially him- before they were all atomized.

-No-

-NO.-

In that moment, Jyn decided something that would become her guiding star through all of what came next. Whatever it took to get where she needed to be, she'd play that part. She'd continue along as though unknowing. Or if that meant she'd have to die dozens of times, live hundreds of hellish deaths, as long as at the end of this, they all live, then by the Force, that is what she was going to do.

A sudden change in the General's tempo, brought her back to the moment, and thankfully further away from the growing temptation to jump up from the chair.

"... Lianna Hallik? What would the Empire do if they knew who you really are, Jyn Erso?" He said it with such emphasis, it was as if her very name was a conviction.

"What do you want from me?" Jyn was surprised at her own voice. It was steady, strong, hiding her fears of getting this wrong.

Then she entered the ring of light cast by the table. If Jyn was ever to be impressed by a statesman, Mon Mothma would have been the one to do it. Regal, yet simple, and graceful, with bones of steel. When she spoke, it was with a calm quiet voice, yet could be heard by those she addressed easily.

"We hope that you can help us. Your father, Galen Erso, has been the lead technician on a super weapon the Empire has been constructing. We have heard that an Imperial pilot defected on Jedha-"

 _Bodhi_! Jyn fought a smile on her face.

"-and has been taken in by Saw Gerrera. This pilot had communications supposedly from your father. We were hoping you could help us get to this pilot through Saw Gerrera."

Jyn repeated to herself a constant reminder in her head: _you know nothing play dumb you know nothing_ , and she came up with the closest thing she could remember saying previously.

"Aren't you all on the same side?"

"Previously, we worked together, yes. Unfortunately, due to his radical behavior we had to cut ties. His group has caused many problems for us." Mon Mothma stole a significant glance at the General. Jyn hadn't noticed that before. "But those times are now past, and we would like to restore communication with him."

Draven spoke up, "that's where you come in, girl. We need you to make an introduction."

"What makes you think he'd want to see me?" Jyn countered. She already knew his answer.

"You were with him for many years after your father started working for the Empire."

"It's been a long time," she countered.

"Nonetheless-" came a voice from the shadows, "- he will remember you."

Mon Mothma gave the dignity to introduce Cassian to her. Jyn rose her chin, her eyes flashing. Despite the logic of understanding that he knew nothing was amiss, or that she did, her anger was stoked by his arrogant tone.

"When was the last time you spoke with your father?" Cassian pressed.

 _According to how many days I've lived and died in and time in between... maybe a little less than a week?_

Instead she said, "Been about 15 years. Always figured he was dead. It was better that way."

Even now, Jyn wasn't lying. It had been easier that way. No worry, and thereby no consequence. The ache was still ever so raw.

"Better than what? Knowing that he was a tool of the Imperial machine?"

"I've never really had the luxury of political opinions."

Cassian scoffed, turning away, "Says a previous member of Saw Gerrera's band."

She was happy to see him in this state, since it meant that though this conversation didn't go exactly the same, it had the right results.

"Alright, let's say I help. What's in it for me?"

Mon Mothma responded, "You would be allowed free."

"Which means, if you don't, we could always put you back where we found you." _Ah, Draven, with the usual charm._

The statesman sent a withering stare towards the general, before returning her friendlier gaze to Jyn. She could tell more was on the younger woman's mind.

"What else would you propose?"

A question was missing and she knew it. Her father! "I assume you were planning on finding my father?"

All three nodded.

"What happens to him?"

The three glanced among themselves, but it was the older woman who spoke, "We will bring him back here, to retrieve any information he will give us, then he will stand before the council for a hearing."

It was the response she was expecting. Nothing had changed so far, so her spirits were high.

Cassian broke through the silence that had filled the room.

"So, will you help us?"


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So I am supposed to be at work. But they keep calling me off. So I'm writing a heck of a lot more than I usually would. Yeah, so enjoy my poverty... hahah... P.S. FINALLY FOUND THE LINE BREAKS.

* * *

The blaster was right where Jyn had remembered it being. And just like previously, Cassian had been adequately distracted by the other comings and goings of the hanger. Quickly stuffing it under her vest, she was almost to the U-wing when the General's voice rang out after them.

"Captain Andor!"

Cassian turned, and paused in his step. Jyn faltered a moment, as he slowed, but Cassain waved her onward. Something pricked in the back of her brain. As she reached the open panel of the ship, she flopped her bag carelessly on to the floor. K2, who had been working on some terminal at the front of the ship, turned to her.

"So the counsel is sending you with us. That is a bad idea. Cassian thinks so too." He turned back to his console, "But what do I know, I'm only designed for strategic analysis."

Jyn was pretty certain that if K2 could have rolled his eyes, he would have. The twinge in the back of her brain made her turn towards the meeting of the Captain and the General. In that moment, as the the General was still speaking, she saw just the slightest change in Cassian's posture. It was ever so subtle, but Jyn had caught one of his tells. Absently, she wondered if anyone else had spent enough time with him to notice that he would rub his thumb across the side of his closed fist, almost like he had a token he was stroking for luck. What would bother him this badly at this point? As she asked herself, she already knew: This was the moment, the moment that he was told to kill her father.

In both the same breath, she felt fury for the General, and pity for Cassian. Draven had already determined that her father didn't deserve to live. No regard for the risk of his life to reach out to them to begin with. The pity of Cassian came from what she knew he would feel, what he would go through over the next few days. If it hadn't meant so much to her, she would have marched over and punched the General. Instead, she swallowed her anger and pride. In her distraction, she pulled the blaster out without caution, in plain sight of both K2, and Cassian. He had turned in time to see it emerge from her vest, and his face showed unexpected emotion, as his eyes went wide. His pace picked up considerably, until he was almost to her.

Cassian grabbed her arm, and determinedly whispered in her ear. "Give me it…!"

She shook off his grip, and stepped up into the ship.

He persisted. "Where did you get it?"

"I found it."

K2 piped up. "I find that answer vague and unconvincing."

Jyn stubbornly stood her ground. "I know how to use it."

She kept her back to both of them, so they wouldn't see her mouthing the words that next came from Cassian.

"That's what worries me. Give it to me."

Jyn almost felt guilty saying the same thing that worked before. But this wasn't the Cassian she knew from Scarif. She needed as much leverage as she could get with him. Sighing, she turned to him,

"Trust goes both ways."

Cassian sat back on his heels. Her words had rattled him slightly. _Maybe even created a twinge of conscience?_ Either way, it worked. He rounded on his heels, and headed to the cockpit, informing her to strap in. As he sat down next to K2, the droid turned to him.

"You're letting her keep it!" It wasn't a question as much as a statement of incredulity. "Do you want to know the odds that she's going to shoot you with it?"

Cassian shot a glance at K2, and the droid looked forward, and made motion to start the U-wing's flight, and then stopped.

"It's high," he stole one more glance at the captain, before starting the flight, "It's very high."

* * *

While she had fought the urge, hyperspace, with it's glowing blues and steady hum of a healthy hyperdrive, often lulled Jyn to sleep. And even though they didn't know it at the time, these two were her friends, and it made her comfortable. As she drifted into a relaxed rest, dreams and memories came to her. This rest was different than the sleep she awoke from on Wobani, when she'd have a death reset. Hopefully that would be the last time she would have to experience waking up there.

Her mind shuffled through her memories, catching parts and bits of different memories and pieced them together. Playing with Stormie on the rocky beach; Saw Gerrera opening the hatch; her father standing before the Imperials; Her mother's smile when her father would wrap his arm around her, laughing, dancing to silent music. The memories slowed; Her mother putting the kyber crystal around her, much too long for her. _Trust,_ she could hear her mother's voice, as a memory of her father holding her, picking her up and spinning her, _Galen._ Suddenly the memories became brilliant, bleached, blinding. The color shrunk back on itself. Suddenly the memories shifted from her childhood. Chirrut, grinning the first time she met him. _I am not afraid, for this is as the Force wills it. The brightest stars….,_ Chirrut's voice slid into the darkness, leaving his statement unfinished. It shifted, a different moment, one she had never seen. She and Cassian in the cockpit, a small smile on his lips, _All the way._ The view of the explosion on Scarif, this one seen from above.

A sudden rock in the ship jolted her awake. Cassian was making his way back into the hold where she had made herself comfortable. A different feeling rested on Jyn. Something permanent settled into her mind. It was as though the different paths she had taken up to this point were finally aligned to this course. In some obscure way, she knew if she died after this she would no longer wake up on Wobani. Now, she just had to get it right from this point onward. Jyn hoped that meant that if she died in the process, she would still wake up, just here instead.

 _Best way to be safe is to never find out._ But even as she thought that, she knew it was fool's hope. If she was going to change the end result, it would probably mean many deaths for her. Being safe is what is she did before. Now, it was time to be reckless. To go rogue.

"Jedha." Cassian nodded out the window, and Jyn took in a long look of him, as he stared out on to the wastelands. She could still hear Cassian's last words from her dream echo in her mind, _All the way_. She wanted that outcome. And she was going to be damned if she would let anything get in the way of it.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This one took a little bit longer- I was having a hard time with getting the voices of both of them. This one was a lot of both of them, so I was trying not to blend their personalities into something bland. Please review and let me know if I did it, or not. I'm not quite sure how quickly I can get up the next chapter only because it's a fight sequence and those are always more intensive for me. I'll try my best to get it to you all tomorrow. We'll see. Thanks for all the love and follows/favs/reviews! They mean a ton, and keep me motivated.

* * *

"I think we should leave target practice here."

Cassian watched Jyn as she scouted the terrain with his macrobinoculars. He had already come to the same conclusion, but was surprised to hear her state them. Turning to K2, he regarded his robotic friend with something of an apologetic half-smile.

"You would be a bit conspicuous. We're trying to blend in."

K2's voice raised slightly, "The city's under Imperial control!"

"That's exactly why you shouldn't come," Jyn tried to reason with him. "Half of the people will want to shoot you, and the other half, reprogram you."

The two humans started packing up the rest of the gear. Jyn tossed her bag into K2's arms.

"We'll call if we need you." Cassian patted his friend's arm, his gear slung over his shoulder. As soon as they were a few feet away, he heard K2 mutter something about it being a bad idea, and the sound of something hitting the ground. He assumed it was Jyn's bag.

* * *

Their trek into the city was a mostly quiet one. As they neared, he ventured a question to Jyn. He wanted to know what he was walking into.

"Why are you no longer with Saw Gerrera?"

Jyn turned to him, her face seemed surprised. It was the first time he could recall her looking surprised since he met her. And in that moment, it passed, and she had all the same walls up. He had a sneaking sensation that she knew more about all of this than she let on. By this point, he wasn't certain he would get an answer, so when she started talking, he was going to keep his mouth shut.

"He abandoned me. Left me in a bunker with rations and a loaded blaster. Never saw him again."

Cassian stopped in his tracts.

"You mean he chose to leave you behind?" A sudden fear sprung in his throat. There was no guarantee that this girl was going to be a ticket to Saw Gerrera. For all they knew, they might both be shot on sight. Unless there was a particular reason she was left behind? "Were you told why?"

Jyn shook her head. It was a genuine response, with no delay. He found his pack had become suddenly heavier on his back. It was often the case when things started to go wrong. Cassian didn't want to have to kill the girl, or leave her to the hands of an extremist. But there were many other things he didn't want to do in the past, that necessity dictated. With a sigh, Cassian set his jaw, preparing himself for any eventuality. They continued on their trek in silence for a bit.

"Alright," Jyn spoke up again, "You know plenty enough about me. Tell me something about you."

Cassian furrowed his brow, and turned to look at her. She was determinedly not making eye contact with him. _Why would this woman want to know anything about me?_ Giving her any real information would do nothing but harm to anyone. Especially him. So instead, he decided to go with a cover story he had used previously, but before he had the chance to, she cut him off with a shake of her head.

"Nevermind," Jyn explained, "you're just about to lie to me. I don't want another story."

He made a double-take and the smaller woman. The last time someone had caught him before a lie was… _No. Not going there. Focus on the mission. You might still have to kill this girl. Don't get attached to the massiff if you know you might have to shoot it._ This girl was an easy fascination, but an unwanted one.

He merely nodded to her, "Fair enough. I don't wish to talk about it."

Jyn shrugged. "Fair enough."

And they continued their trek into the city in silence.

* * *

The tight streets of NiJedha were filled with vendors, pilgrams and imperials. As they slipped through the crowds slowly, Jyn was caught by the little things around her. She recognized the pilgrims from the inhabitants— she had seen them the last time she had been there, the large Imperial presence was the same as well, but the small things- the little girl with the twin braids, like she used to wear, the vendor selling Gin-Jang berries, the tapestry in the windows above. She shook her head, trying to get it to focus on the big picture. A misstep, like the one she took earlier, might cause a whole cascade effect.

It was Cassian's question about Saw that set her off. She knew now why he had left her there. No excuses were reasonable to leave a 15 year old on her own. It no longer mattered. She wasn't back at 15 to fix it. She was here _now,_ and she knew if she stayed on that, she would miss her chance with her future. No, her worry was that he had asked her something he hadn't before. And she had continued the conversation. It was obvious to her that he was about to lie. It was the same tell he gave when she challenged him about her father on Eadu. The ever-so-slight hestiation, the glance. His reaction to her dismissal was almost as bad as her question. The urge to know more was so overwhelming. Here was a chance to use her time more to find out his history, and she couldn't resist the temptation. So, if she couldn't ask now, she would just have to make sure there was more time later, when this mess was done.

She kept pace behind Cassian, careful not to lose him in the sea of bobbing heads. As she did, Jyn noted a couple of angry-faced aliens getting involved in an argument with a man with a receding hairline and drawn face. The two aliens were the ones that she had run into on her previous trek through the city. As they passed them, she could swear the man was referencing a rodent he knew once, and exhorting them to not 'drive angry'. Jyn raised a quizzical brow, but continued on her way before she lost Cassian in the crowd. A few steps further down, there was a scuffle down a narrow side road. Turning she saw stormtroopers roughing up the locals, searching their homes. Picking up her pace a hair she caught up to Cassian quickly.

"Is this because of your pilot?"

"They're anxious to find him. They don't know what information he carries."

 _My father's message._

Cassian paused at a crossroad, at an unseen signal, and turned to her.

"Stay here. I'll meet up with our contact at the temple."

She nodded, and he slipped up a pathway.

"Your future for that necklace!"

Jyn smiled. It was good to hear Chirrut's voice. She slowly turned to him. He was perched in the same place she had seen him before. A good-natured grin was lighting up his face. Just barely in the shadows, she could catch a glimpse of Baze keeping a casual eye on his friend.

"Yes, I'm talking to you."

Chirrut was looking in her direction, but the angle was wrong. It was too low, like he was looking at…. Her crystal! She hadn't realized that before. Maybe it hadn't happened before. Either way, it was enlightening.

"How did you know about my necklace?"

"What do you know about Kyber crystals?" Chirrut continued doggedly, ignoring her question. Or was that his answer?

Jyn was moving steadily towards them, curious to see if she could learn more before the rest of their events. More about them, more about the Whills. Cassian appeared at her elbow.

"We're not here to make friends." He started escorting her away.

Chirrut called after them, "The brightest stars have hearts of Kyber." In that moment, Jyn felt a chill come over her. His voice echoed in her mind, and she glanced behind them, and saw Baze stooped down beside Chirrut as the latter quietly spoke to the bigger man. She turned back to Cassian.

"What's wrong?" She could see it all over his face.

"The contact is gone. Something's gone amiss." He glanced around nervously, and they both spotted the armored carrier tank with its escort of a dozen stormtroopers. Above they both tagged a man moving suspiciously, eyeing the prize on the tank. Both knew they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cassian turned to Jyn.

"This place is about to blow."

 _If only you knew how accurate you are, Cassian._


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:Ok 2017. Time we have a serious talk. I'm really resting a lot of hope on you. Don't screw with us, alright? I want 2017 to be more like A New Hope ending than a Rogue One, k?

* * *

It all happened rather quickly. The nervous man on the walkway above, sent the grenade flying, making it's way through the air. Last time, Jyn hadn't noticed it's arrival; one moment the transport was in motion, the next there was a cacophony of sounds. This time, she saw it's motion from the moment it left his hand and how it arched through the open sky. As though all sound had been muted, she could hear the distinct clatter of the grenade hitting the ground and rolling toward the tanks front.

With a flash, the world around her erupted into smoke and blaster fire. Once again, bulky jackets and coats were pulled away, and heavy weaponry emerged. Last time, it had been a distracting jumble of activity that she had a hard time discerning. This time, she could start to decipher the roles each group played. The lobby- launching grenades from above; the distraction, keeping the troopers focused on them, and not the dangerous calvary emerging behind the tank, effectively blocking any escape route for the Imperials. Not so slowly, Saw's training came to mind. Jyn turned into a shallow doorway, as Cassian did the same. Wedged in together in the scant cover it offered, she looked out into the activity. Both of them were only picking targets that turned to them. This wasn't their fight. Jyn knew that it wasn't hers anymore. Even as familiar as it all seemed, she was certain that this wasn't the life she wanted. Not when casualties lined up were as much innocents as Imperials.

 _Innocents! The little girl, the pilgram's daughter!_

Her distraction cost her vital seconds. The little girl was still crying, standing in between bolts of light, flashing past her. Jyn dashed for the girl, at the same moment she saw the tank swing toward her. She heard Cassian call out to her, something about the tower. The tower was next. And she wasn't going to be quick enough. Instead of grabbing the girl and carrying her to safety, Jyn lifted her up and flung her away, far enough she would be out of harm's way. She was still moving, hoping to make it out herself, when she felt her foot slip on the loose gravel and knew there was no way. The girl was safe, outside of the shadow, while she was right in the middle, prone. Instead of bothering to pick herself up, she turned ever so slightly to look at Cassian, her name on his lips, her one true friend in the galaxy— even if he didn't know it yet— before she died. His face was worried, and even… frightened? She smiled, and then the world turned black.

* * *

 _Trust Galen. The strongest stars…. All the way._

This time, Jyn awoke on the U-wing. Absentmindedly, she wondered if this ship had a name. She noticed that it felt like she had something warm pressed into her chest. Pulling on the cord around her neck, the crystal on the end appeared from the collar of her tunic. Oddly, it was glowing ever so slightly, and when she touched it, she realized that it was the source of the warmth she felt. She didn't have much time to consider it before Cassian appeared at her side. Jyn had been correct. It appeared that her reset was now this ship. He was pointedly looking out the side panel.

"That's Jedha," he proclaimed again. Jyn once more stared him down, maybe this time a bit longer than before. He turned, spotted the glowing gem still cradled in her hands and raised a quizzical brow. "What do you have there?"

"It's… uh…. A trinket. From my mother. It… uh… glows when you hold it. Scared of the dark as a kid." She almost winced at her horrible lie. Even she would have caught it, were she on the opposite side of the question. Instead of calling her out, Cassian looked over the brow of the bowl her hands created and down on to the crystal.

"Seems to be working well still."

Jyn nodded numbly, unprepared for such a bland response. She decided to go a bit further with the altered story.

"It was the last gift my mother gave me. I… just can't part with it." That part was true. There was a glimmer of sympathy in Cassian's eyes. She knew that he understood— far better than most would. He nodded once and picked himself up from his seat across from her, and started moving back toward the cockpit and K2. Pausing, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"You might want to keep it hidden once we land. Kyber crystals are a rare commodity on Jedha, recently."

She knew in that instant that he had seen through her lie, which was no surprise, and gave her the dignity to keep it. Jyn tucked it under her tunic's collar and prepared herself for this day again.

* * *

"I didn't realize that you cared, Jyn."

"I don't. I just don't want them to miss you and hit me."

"Doesn't sound so bad to me."

Jyn smirked, once more handing K2 her pack, knowing full well its fate once she was out of sight. Cassian patted K2's arm, reiterating to him to stay on the ship. Once more, on repeat, they started down the slope, and toward NiJedha.

She wasn't surprised when Cassian interrupted the silence partway through their trek, but his question was not what she expected.

"Did your mother really give you that crystal?"

Glancing sideways at him, she nodded once. "Right before she died. Stupidly."

"What was stupid about it?"

"She decided she could go up against half a dozen death troopers and live."

"Maybe she never intended to."

Jyn stopped in her tracts, and stared after him. "What do you mean?"

"The only thing I can think of why your mother would go up against death troopers would be to save someone else."

She shook her head at him.

"You didn't know her, so how can you assume that?"

"Just a gut feeling, from meeting you."

Bitterly, she laughed. "Yeah, you know me so well," her voice was tinged with sarcasm. Even with how much she sacrificed for others, everything was laced with resentment. She had gotten to seen a glimpse of a life she could have, and wanted it, but because of others, it had been ripped away from her. Now, she was fighting for it, and even when she'd made progress, she died because of helping someone else.

Yet, as she considered all this, in her heart, Jyn knew that Cassian was right. If it was her or the crying little girl in the street, she would do the same over and over.

Cassian had fallen silent since her rebuttal. She wasn't sure she wanted to break it. Instead, she focused on the sound her boots made in the gravel and sand as they started the ascent into the city.

* * *

A/N part 2: sorry this one's a bit shorter than the last few, but I'm pretty sure the next one will make up for it...


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hopefully this makes up for the shorter chapter last round. Please, please give me feedback- It helps me grow as a writer! Thanks for all the feedback up to this point! It makes me so happy! haha...

* * *

Entering the city, the two trekked through, and by now, Jyn knew her way, without Cassian directing the way. She was having an easier time following him, and she allowed her mind to wander. Abstractly, she noticed the man with the drawn face and receding hair line was the recipient of his own medicine, now cornered by a persistant wisp of a man, chittering at him. She caught part of their discussion. " I dated your sister Mary Pat a couple times until you told me not to anymore…" Raising her eyebrow, she was intrigued.

Distracted, she ran into the scarred man and his Aqualish associate. He scowled at her- "You better watch yourself!", and the Aqualish placed himself in between the two, and despite her first flash of anger, she knew that there was nothing in this squabble, and before Cassian could get involved, she raised her hands in mock surrender.

"No trouble." She stated simply, and turned on her heels and continued on her way. Cassian nodded once at her and they fell in step together. He raised an eyebrow to her, and her response was honest when she said, "Mission first."

A few steps later, she started the conversation again.

"So what now?"

He was looking over his shoulder, anxiously. "I had a contact. One of Saw's rebels, but he's just gone missing. His sister will be looking for him." Cassian didn't care to tell the angry woman at his side that his contact was the one he had shot on the Ring of Kafrene. There were multiple reasons why, but the main reason he would never admit was that he had no desire for her to know just the kinds of horrors he had inflicted. With a shake of his head he pushed that ghost out of his mind.

"The temple's been destroyed but she'll be there waiting. We'll give her your name and hope that gets us a meeting with Saw."

"Hope?" She scoffed. "Is that the best Rebel Intelligence can do?"

Every moment he started to feel like he could see something positive in this girl, she would show her obvious distaste of everything he believed in.

"Rebellions are built on hope."

* * *

Jyn almost started at his response. She was surprised how easily she had fallen back into her disdain. The memories of death and sacrifice on Scarif were starting to truly fade. The goal was still the same, but the details were fuzzy. She tried her best to bring them back to crystal clear. If she allowed this to happen, she would repeat the result. On the other side, it had allowed for the conversation to fall back to what it had been the first time around.

As they passed through a crowd of stormtroopers doing sweeps of locals residences, Jyn pulled her hood up around her face. Last thing she needed was for them to recognize the fugitive from Wobani. She spotted the hologram of Bodhi exhorting 'good' Imperial citizens to turn in any information about him.

"Is this all because of your pilot?"

She could tell that Cassian was put out with her. He ignored her, and stopped her at one of the crossroads. "Wait here."

Even if he was upset, everything else was right. She could handle him being upset as long as he was still alive. Jyn reached for her crystal through her shirt.

"May the Force of others be with you. May the Force of others be with you. May the Force of others…." Last round she hadn't noticed him chanting. With weary eyes and worrying her lip, she glanced at Chirrut, but purposefully tore her gaze away. She wished that the friendship she had with him was already in place. Of all times, Jyn could use his comforting reassurances.

"Trade a necklace for a glimpse into your future?"

She turned back to him to find his gaze where she expected it— where her hand clasped the crystal through her shirt. His weightless grin, suddenly froze, and a scowl started between his brows.

"Or have you already seen it…?"

Jyn swallowed, hearing the whispers of her dreams, threatening to pull her under. With a wrench she hushed them, and made the decision not to answer his question. "How did you know I was wearing a necklace?"

As per previously, Chirrut ignored her question, as she had his. "What do you know of Kyber crystals?"

"My father. He said they powered the Jedi lightsabers." Instead of being bitter at her estranged father, this time when she spoke, it was a warm longing for her father's presence. Chirrut merely nodded.

 _"Jyn."_ Cassian's voice appeared at her elbow, followed by his hand on the crook of her arm. "Come on."

Not a few feet away from the Guardian, his voice called out over the din of the crowd.

"The strongest stars have hearts of Kyber."

At his words, the crystal began to warm, almost burning.

Jyn's voice sounded quiet in her own ears, but Cassian heard her.

"Guardians of the Whills." He nodded once, and her tone must have caught his attention, because he glanced back at her. It was easy to see that what the Guardian had said had rattled her badly. A twinge of concern nipped at the back of his consciousness. He couldn't afford that right now. Last time he allowed that to affect him, it was catastrophic. From that point he had decided never again. Cassian needed her here and now. He pulled her down a side path, and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her slightly.

"Jyn. I need you to stay focused."

When she lifted her eyes to him, they were open and scared, then she blinked. When her eyes opened they were clear and hard. In that moment of openness, Cassian felt his own walls start to come down. Then the clear-eyed Jyn resurfaced. He dropped his head and sighed. This girl was going to be the death of him. By the time he raised his head, he was in full control again. Looking at her, he motioned with his head. "Ready?"

She nodded, and they both made their way up the street.

"You seem awfully tense all of a sudden."

"We have to hurry. This town— it's ready to blow."

Jyn chuckled darkly. Again.

* * *

The events, the suspicious activity, the line-ups— It was all the same as she remembered it. However, this time, she saw the little girl earlier. She moved her out of the way and into her mother's arms. As she handed the girl to her mother, she made sure to make steady eye contact with the mother as she handed the girl off. "Get off the planet!" she screamed at her. The pilgram nodded and moved off, tears running down her face.

She bolted to the front of the tank for cover, as Cassian had shot the turret gunner. She saw the same grenadier removing the pin from his next lobby, and she knew his target was right where she stood. As he lined up to throw, she saw a shot shine out, hitting him. He plummeted with grenade still in hand, down into a small gathering of Saw's men. All three flew in the air as the grenade detonated. Cassian had saved her life yet once more. He gestured her away from the foray. She followed, and they moved on to the streets below, where they had been prior.

Then Cassian rounded a corner, face to face with a stormtrooper.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This one is a bit of a repeat (hardy-har-har) of what occurred in the movie. However, some interesting developments do occur. They _will_ affect the story. You'll just have to wait to see how. (Maniacal laugh. Maniacal laugh. Maniacal laugh.)

* * *

 _Scratch that,_ Jyn thought. _A half squad of troopers._

Cassian whipped out his blaster, easily picking off the first he lined up, then dodging into cover of a doorway. He glanced at Jyn who had also slipped into the next vendor stall over. She was composed and ready. They heard them before they saw it. Another half squad at the opposite end moving towards them. With a tilt of his head he indicted to her that they were to be her target. He had decided the first crew was to be his.

In such tight spaces, blasters were going to be clumsier, but it was all he had at his disposal readily. Jyn, on the other hand, appeared to have prepared otherwise. At her side appeared a truncheon, extended and ready. With a nod, they both entered the foray. Blasters punctuated the staccato of her truncheon on plasteel. Cassian, finishing the last of his company, he turned ready to aid the smaller woman, only to realize two important things: while she still had three troopers on her, they were too close for safe discharge of his blaster; and he was rather impressed with her display, and wanted to see her finish it.

Her dominate hand clasped the truncheon with steady practiced hand, swinging down on a plasteel helmet with harsh force, while her other grasped the troopers blaster. As he fell from under her blow, she easily took the blaster out of his slackening grip, and easily used it to line up the last two troopers in her sights. With two precise shots both went down.

A sound to their side, and Jyn fired at the Imperial symbol, even as her addled and rattled brain recognized the spindly metallic shape, and tried to stop her. As the Imperial security droid sparked and crumpled, her memory returned- it wasn't K2. His reappearance from the same area reassured her, along with his sound of shock in his voice:

"Did you know that wasn't me?!"

Jyn smirked. "Of course." This time she meant it.

Cassian turned to the droid, "I thought I told you to stay on the ship."

"You did. But I thought It was boring and you were in trouble. There were a lot of explosions for two people trying to blend in."

Behind him, a trooper that Cassian had shot started to limply pick himself up, and had readied a grenade. With a final effort, he lobbed it at the trio. It flung over K2's shoulder, and would have reached the ground directly between them, were it not for his unnaturally long arms reaching out and plucking it from the air.

"But you're right," Jyn's eyes were wide, and she started to make a small motion to the live grenade in his hand, and K2's continued, "I should just wait in the ship."

With a high level of expertise, he flung the grenade again back over his shoulder into the squad of troopers, annihilating the threat before they even had time to register what had occurred.

Jyn spotted for the first time the smirk on Cassian's face as he looked at his friend. She had a similar one on her face.

Together, the trio turned back down and into the street. The crashed x-wing was where she remembered it. And so was the squad of troopers crawling over it. The wide open space of the street prevented any of the close quarters battle they had engaged in previously.

All three, slowed and turned as if in no rush, hoping to avoid detection. Jyn wasn't surprised when a cry to halt came from behind them. The stormtrooper who took point spoke out to K2's first.

"Where are you taking these prisoners?"

It took everything in her power for Jyn not to allow any humor into her face. Cassian had been right, so long ago. It was the reprogram- no filter and thereby no ability to lie.

"These are prisoners."

"Yes." The trooper spoke as if to a child being caught doing something bad. "Where are you taking them?"

K2 paused, "I'm taking them to imprison them."

And to clarify he quickly added- "In prison."

Jyn could read Cassian's frustration and before she was able to stop him, he spoke out.

"He's taking us to-"

K2's outstretched hand made contact with the side of Cassian's face, stopping him mid-sentence. She grimaced.

"Quiet!" K2 bellowed, with a warning hand drawn back, "and there's a fresh one if you mouth off again!"

Cassian practically glared at his friend, his hand holding his injured face.

The trooper put a hand out as if to calm the droid. "We'll take them from here," he stated as he gestured to a couple of his squad members. They came forward, stuncuffs in hand, to both humans. The squad was still on alert, far too spaced out for the three of them to mount any effective offensive. Even to this point, Jyn had yet to see how she could change anything for the better. As the troopers placed both of them under arrest, K2 continued to ramble on.

"That's ok. If you can just point me in the right direction, I can take them, I'm sure. I've taken them this far..."

The leader raised his hand to silence the droid.

"You need to stay here. We need to check your diagnostics."

If K2 could have become slack jawed, Jyn was certain he would have. "Diagnostics? I'm capable of running my own diagnostics, _thank you very much!_ "

Even as the troopers started to move Jyn and Cassian away, her head was turned to a certain side pathway. Not one to disappoint, a certain Guardian of the Whills emerged.

"Let them pass in peace!" His voice seemed resigned to Jyn as she listened. She didn't remember that from before. Maybe it had just been the shock. Or had he seen something when he spoke with her earlier that day...?

He paused a moment just outside of the squad, leading with his staff. "Let them pass in peace."

Without hesitation he moved forward into the group. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I fear nothing, for all is as the Force wills it."

The leader took a few steps toward the man. "Hey! Stop right there!"

One of the troopers responded to the leader.

"He's blind."

"Is he deaf?" The leader snarled.

Jyn didn't bother to feel worried. She may still doubt the Force, but she didn't doubt Chirrut.

"I said: Stop right there!"

The leader took aim, and Chirrut tilted his head to the sound. She glanced at Cassian, curious about his expression. What she found she didn't expect: sadness. He looked profoundly sad and resigned. In that small moment, she glimpsed at how heavily every death he felt responsible for weighed upon him. With effort she looked back to Chirrut. In a speed that could have been viewed as humanly impossible, as the trooper fired, the Guardian slipped and ducked away, letting the shot pass over and behind him, squarely striking the trooper opposite in the visor.

Suddenly, at the sight of their fellow felled, the troopers sprung into action. Chirrut was far ahead of them. His staff spinning, and his body in continual motion, he pummeled the troopers, by the pair. At one point, with a staff embedded in a troopers foot he taunted; "is your foot alright?" before using said staff to incapacitate the same trooper. As he dodged and turned two seemingly stray shots slipped passed Chirrut and over the shoulders of both Jyn and Cassian, finishing off the troopers escorting them.

Recognizing the salvation for what it was, they both dodged behind cover, followed by K2. As the agile man, finished off what remained of the troopers, another squad raced in from the open side of the street, taking aim solely on him.

Jyn had already spotted Baze as he took his place on the rubble of the x-wing. With speed and precision, his heavy weapon lined up and fired upon all in a row, yet totally avoiding his friend.

Chirrut rounded on him, aghast.

"You almost shot me!"

"You're welcome." Baze moved forward with his cannon aimed warily towards the three. K2, somewhat oblivious to the tension, stalked out to the main arena, and pronounced confidently;

"Clear of hostiles."

Baze's heavy repeater turned to K2 with renewed enthusiasm. The droid put his hands up in surrender. "One hostile!"

"He's with us!" Cassian called out.

Chirrut nodded serenely. "They're ok."

He lowered his gun. Jyn turned to them both.

"Thank you." She had much more to say, but knew now was not the time. Both she and Cassian turned to K2 who easily removed their restraints. As he removed Cassian's, Jyn swore she saw the droid's shoulders drop slightly.

"Cassian, I'm sorry about the slap." She saw the man shake his head slightly.

"Go back to the ship and wait for my call." The droid nodded, and for a change had nothing to say, and merely ran out, presumably to the ship.

"Is he a Jedi?" Cassian asked, hopeful and wary both at the same time.

Baze sniffed derisively. "No Jedi anymore, only dreamers like this fool."

Chirrut flashed his patented smile, "The Force did protect me."

The weary man was quick to respond: " _I_ protected you."

Even as Jyn allowed herself a small smile, she dreaded what she knew came next with her question.

"Can you get us to Saw Gerrera?"

Even as the words escaped her lips, the arena was once more filled with soldiers. These ones wore ragtag armor and cobbled weaponry across their bodies. Saw's men; the same they had seen earlier. She smirked darkly at the three men. "Never mind."

Weapons were drawn and a cry for their hands to be in the air, and all four responded immediately. Jyn knew this battle wasn't one to be fought. She glanced at Cassian. While it was clear he had no desire to be taken captive, there was no fight to be had. Chirrut, on the other hand, had something to say.

"Can't you see we are no friend of the Empire?"

Despite this, all four removed their weaponry before the rebels had a chance to. Their leader, a Tognath, snarled in his native tongue.

"Tell that to the one who killed our men!"

Jyn knew to expect this, and was prepared.

"He saved innocents your men were willing to kill." The Tognath growled at her, and even knowing how this was to play out, she raised an eyebrow at him, lips pressed into a thin line.

"Anyone who kills me or my friends will answer to Saw Gerrera." She defiantly stared him down, daring him to question her.

"And why, pray tell, would that be the case?"

"Because I'm Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso." Every inch of her body strained, she poured all the pride she had both of herself and of her father into her words.

It was silent as the Tognoth considered.

"Take them."

A dark canvas bag was slipped over the heads of Baze, Cassian and Chirrut. The latter protested- "are you kidding? I'm blind!"- but hers was held off until she was on her feet alone. The Tognoth neared her, his metallic gaze peering down at her. He glanced over his shoulder, where two rebels held Cassian. At his look they lifted him to his feet, while a third came over and took a swing at his core. She was familiar with the sound of a man being hit and seeing it occur, but she recognized her misstep in defense of Cassian's shot. A familiar fire of rage seeped into her bones, while leaving her stomach turning. The Tognoth turned back to face her, speaking quietly enough that only she could hear him.

"Saw Gerrera always handles traitors."

The bag was pulled over her head.

* * *

A/N pt.2:Did you see where some of the deviation began?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Unfortunately, today's chapter is going to be a little on the shorter side. My beta reader (the hubby) and I are currently going on vacation (Camping in the cold- yay!) so I won't guarantee any updates, but if I write more and have wifi, I'll update as I can.

* * *

Cassian was shuffled forward. He was, to the best of his knowledge, still surrounded by his new compatriots. He could discern Chirrut's murmur, chant, prayer or whatever he called it, nearby; Baze's heavy tread, followed by deep heaving sighs randomly.

He heard nothing of Jyn.

From the moment he had been hit, her growl had been audible- and the last thing he heard from her.

His nearest companions were being escorted away into a room- a cell, Cassian presumed. Distantly he wondered if he would be left with them. This curiosity was short lived when his escort planted a shoe in his back, propelling him forward, with the hood still on. Head down, he allowed himself to stumble. Good thing too, for his shoulders made contact with rough stone as he came to a stop. Reaching up, he ripped the hood from his head.

As he suspected, while the two men were in the same cell, Jyn was nowhere in sight. There was a moment where the gate of the cell was still open, so he decided to make a rush at it.

Not fast enough, the gate crashed down in front of him. Cassian jutted his arm out, through the slats, snagging the front of the nearest of Saw's Rebels.

"Where is she?" He demanded, "Where's Jyn?"

The burly man he had grabbed, snarled. Grasping Cassian's wrist, the man's hand dwarfed his own, and made a sharp twist. The sound that came from his shoulder was audible, and unsettling. The rebel captain had been unprepared for the motion, sound and pain of his now dislocated shoulder, but his training kicked in immediately. He clutched the gate with his free hand, hissing, venom in his eyes.

Still holding his arm in the locked position, the rebel neared. His breath was a foul wash.

"They were my friends."

"And they," Cassian pushed through his teeth, "almost killed mine."

The man's face puckered. He dropped Cassian's arm, and stalked to the nearby dejarik game. Wincing, the captain pulled his limp arm back into the cell. Baze moved forward without a word, clasped his good shoulder and gestured to the ground with his eyes. Cassian nodded nodded and took his place.

Baze kneeled to the side of the captain, his hands moving with the skill and practice of a field medic took stock of his shoulder.

Mentally, Cassian berated himself. In the building panic, he had shown a hand he hadn't even realized he had. _Where had this concern over Jyn come from?_

Baze gestured to Chirrut, who was still sitting serenely, chanting ( _I am one with the force, and the force is with me.._.). The blind man handed him his staff. Taking the hood Cassian had discarded, he ripped in into two strips. Baze caught the captain's eye.

"Grip here," he pointed to the middle of the Guardian's staff, "and don't let go."

Cassian did as he was told, clutching with his injured side. The weary man used one strip to secure his hand to the staff. With the other strip, he handed it to Cassian. At the quizzical expression on the man's face, Baze responded "for you" and mimicked biting down.

He nodded and put the strip between his teeth and pulled a deep breath.

Baze positioned his hands and using his body weight, he secured himself for tension on the other man's arm, and abruptly twisted the opposite direction.

Chirrut's chant had changed "I am one with the Force..." was now "May the Force of others be with you." His tone was one of kindness.

Even through the strip of fabric, a strangled noise escaped.

The Guardian's chant paused, and the cell went silent, until a sickening pop was heard and the captain's head lolled. All four men let out their collective breaths.

 _Four?_ Cassian thought, and his eyes shot open even as he let the cloth fall from his mouth and Baze removed the strip holding his hand in place. From the next cell over, four dark eyes stared, wide, through the bars. Not four eyes, he thought through his pain-filled stupor, two eyes and a set of goggles. Goggles like the ones Imperial pilots wear. _Imperial pilot!_

Finding what was left of his voice, he spoke out.

"Are you the Imperial pilot? The one with the message from Galen Erso?"

* * *

And that's where I leave you today. (please don't hate me.)


	11. Chapter 11

A/N:Ok folks, we're back! My darling beta reader (aka, hubby) and I spent quite a bit of our drive to talk out how these next few chapters... Sorry this is a shorter one, but I wanted to get something back out to you all. We're back to our regular scheduled broadcasting! hahaha... again- thanks so much for all of the reviews and follows, and totally blown away by all the favorites!

* * *

"The- the pilot. Ye- yes, I'm the pilot." The frazzled young man began. "Yes- I'm the pilot," He said with certainty, finally. Even as his eyes started to light up, the gate door opened, and he cowered.

Cassian turned to the opened doorway, but the nausea from the realigned shoulder kept him planted in the cold sand.

His nausea didn't restrain the guards from entering, and roughly pulling him to his feet. Locking his jaw, he willed the bile back down.

"Where are we going?"

"Just you." The guard had a blasted trained on him. "Saw Gerrera gets to talk to who he wants to."

With the blaster still following him, he was led through a maze of corridors. One last turn, and he was nudged through a cloth that clung like cobwebs to his jacket, and into a room of extremes. The corners were almost unnaturally dark, whereas the bright early morning shone through the catacomb's window, casting a painful glow of light upon the center. A mechanical wheeze was followed by the sound of machinery struggling to function, dragging its load across the stone floor. Cassian stiffened, shifting his dead arm slightly back, weighing his alternatives and preparing different methods of escape. He had wanted to meet Saw Gerrera, but he had full expectations to have Jyn with him. It would have allowed a certain level of friendliness in regards to Saw's cause.

However, the man that struggled into the light caught him completely off guard. The soldiers eye's were the ones of a zealot, but his body was of a weary old man, held together by a metallic exoskeleton. He leaned heavily on a sturdy staff as his cobbled together leg struggled to maintain his pace. The man neared Cassian, and met his eyes. In that moment, both men were startled to see their own reflections in the other's. The older man blinked.

"So," he began, "You are the one that killed my men."

The spy chose to say nothing. This was not the time for defense.

"And now you arrive before me, under the protection of a name I have heard too frequently over the last few days." Saw turned his back to Cassian. "It must be a trick, a ruse," he muttered to himself. He looked over his shoulder at the captain again.

"Why are you here?" The man reached for a mask, breathing in what gas his exoskeleton dispensed.

"I am here as a representative for the Rebel Alliance. We've come to reestablish a peaceful connection with yo-"

"Sithspit!" Saw rounded on him, the mask falling from his hand. "You come here, under the guise of Jyn Erso, a few days after a defector arrives under the name of her father!"

He whipped his staff around on the captain. It's butt end grazed his Adam's apple. Another few centimeters, and Cassian's trachea would have been crushed. "You want something more. And I will find it out!"

The rebel captain didn't bother to hide his scowl. "I have told you what I will."

Saw snarled.

"Then it is time to find out what Jyn has to say." He yelled out to his lieutenants in a language Cassian surprisingly didn't understand. _A dialect of Jedha, perhaps?_ He didn't have the time to think much more about it before a gag was shoved into his mouth from an unknown source, and his arms held.

"Let him see what the Force wills him to be."

Cassian was turned around. Behind him, an opaque curtain was being pulled back, revealing a smaller secondary room. Once on the other side and the curtain drawn, he could see that it was only opaque from an outside observer's perspective. As soon as the curtain fell, Saw almost whispered, with a forlorn quality in his voice.

"Bring Jyn in."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So I had to put this all together. (I was mainly getting impatient with the story, and wanted to get this part done) Thereby, you now have a longer next chapter. Some of the consequences of being too stuck to what she had done in the past will really affect what happens now.

* * *

He heard the young woman calling herself Jyn Erso being escorted in to him. Slowly, Saw turned to the young woman, still hooded. With a nod from him, the escort removed the hood. A feeling akin to what he would assume as fatherly pride spread through his chest when he saw the small woman standing before him. She had the lift of arrogance, the pride of Lyra, with the warm eyes of her father. Even the years of being with Saw, and then the shorter years on her own couldn't quell the warmth of heart her father had bred in her. And it would always be her downfall. Another reason he had to get her away from him. Away from his people.

The weary ghost of a man could hardly believe his eyes. "Is it really you?"

"Surprised to see me?" There was no mistaking the venom in her voice, and it cut the older man to his core.

"Are we not still friends?" His hope hung on her answer. She could break him for the final time, or make him whole again. In her eyes, there was a conflict, an unknown battle behind them. Something clicked and they hardened.

"You left me. Abandoned me in a bunker with a loaded blaster and instructions not to come out till daylight. Bit of a shock to find out I was alone."

Did she not see it? Had she not noticed the too-long stares from her fellow rebels? Or the quiet dissenting whispers and furtive glances thrown her way?

"You were capable of taking care of yourself."

"I was 15!"

And she was a liability. At 15, Saw could no longer protect her. Many wanted her as a hostage. And as long as he protected her, his strength of leadership was weakened. What would have happened to the Rebellion then?

"There were whispers. Others who wanted to use you. Bargain with your life."

In her eyes he could see nothing. Saw tottered on the precipice, preparing for his soul to shatter on the pieces of his legacy below. Then the girl turned away. In the motion, there was a piece of forgiveness. He hung on to it with all he had. Regaining his sense of reality, he grabbed at his mask, breathing deeply from it.

"Why are you here, Jyn?"

"I'm here to make an introduction for the Alliance. They wanted an introduction; they got one."

His eyes narrowed. This didn't make sense.

"The galaxy is coming undone, Jyn. The Imperial flags reign across the galaxy. You care not for the Cause?"

She shrugged, a little too forced. "It's not a problem if you don't look up."

This was too staged. This didn't fit the woman who proudly used her true name to strangers to protect those with her. Or the young man's determination to protect her, both in the city as well as in his cell. He had heard of it all.

"And of your friends? What would happen now?"

"I've done my part. I'll just go on my way. The rest is up to you all."

 _No. This is all wrong._ Saw felt betrayed. She may have been disinterested previously, but her actions were not matching up. And she was giving him no choice. He needed the truth. There were far too many traitors recently— even for Jyn he could make no exceptions.

"Two Tubes;" the Tognath reappeared from where he had slunk into the corners, "The spy. Bor Gullet."

Jyn's eyes were wild, back and forth between the two. "Bor Gullet? What's Bor Gullet?"

From behind a curtain at the back of the room, emerged Cassian, restrained and gagged, led by another guard.

"Take them both down there," Saw turned back to Jyn. "You have been lying to me."

"No! I haven't said a thing that was untrue." In Jyn's face, he could see a desperation. She knew what happened to those who lied to him. _So what was the truth?_ He wished he knew. Either way, Bor Gullet would know the truth.

* * *

Cassian was dragged out of the room, Jyn in tow. Deep in the catacombs, they emerged into a room, light almost solely by daylight filtering in from a solitary high window. The rest was dark and murky. A cage locked out the majority of the room, and the door was opened to allow Cassian to be led in. Jyn was held at blaster point, forced to watch rather than be a part. Restrained to a chair at one end of the room, he was left by his captors. The door was swung shut and locked. Saw appeared at Jyn's side.

"What's going on?" Cassian heard her ask. Next to him, he saw a dim blue light fixture flicker on and cast it's pale light.

"You both have lied to me," Saw was behind him, but the captain still recognized his voice. "I can no longer afford liars among me. I need to know the truth. Bor Gullet will find it out for me."

"Why him?" There was something in her voice. Something he couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Because it is my choice." He heard her start to counter, when Cassian spotted the glossy nature of what was before him started to slither out of the darkness. There was a hushed silence that fell over all present.

"What- What's going to happen? Saw- what's going to happen?"

The man didn't respond.

This was to be some form of persuasion, truth serum, or torture. He had been trained for this, and time and again proven true to his training. By the time he felt the first of the tentacles reach his ankle, Cassian's mental walls were up. And when the first tentacle contacted the side of this face, and the first probe brushed his mental defenses, he was already envisioning his most innocent memories.

As the creature wrapped its tentacles around his body, in his mind, he felt gentle nudges into his defenses. However, once the second tentacle reached the side of Cassian's face, the gentleness was gone. With the force of a red-hot pike, the creature attempted to press into the deep recesses of his memories. The gentle probing had caused Cassian to be lulled, his eyes closing.

This new attack, his eyes shot open and he gritted his teeth, setting his jaw. With every attempt, the force increased. And with every one, he redoubled his efforts. He clung to his "throwaway memories". Gifts given by friends as a child. Playing in the snow on Fest. Meanwhile, while the creature played with those small memories, he would hastily repair the weakness the creature had created.

On one particularly long lull in attack, he could start to make out the sounds and sights again around him.

Jyn: "Stop it! It's useless. You're getting nowhere! This is just sadistic and parano—"

A sound of flesh hitting flesh, followed by metal.

The Tognath: "You don't speak like that to Saw Gerrera!"

He heard her growl.

Saw: "His training is making this worse, Jyn. You both have brought this upon yourselves."

Then pain. Extreme, excruciating pain. In his lack of attention, the creature had redoubled it's efforts. The red-hot pain seared through his skull from temple to temple. While he wasn't sure, there was a good chance that a scream had slipped from his lips. The creature dug through and discarded memories. It moved through his mind as a careless robber would a house he was looking for something hidden in.

 _Tucked in, his mother kissing his forehead._

discarded.

 _Anger, seething fury at his father's new uniform._

discarded.

 _First kiss at 15._

discarded.

The creature was nearing the memories he was under oath to keep. He found new strength to lock the creature out. It pried, pulled and pushed to get to them. Little ones started slipping through the hole the creature was creating.

 _Draven giving him his first mission as an Intelligence officer._

kept.

 _His first assasination._

kept.

 _K-2SO, his salve for the death of his first kiss._

kept.

 _A beach, with a too-bright sunset._

kept.

 _Stardust, and a body pressed to his._

kept.

* * *

The ground shook. Jyn knew it was too late. Fury fueled her, and she struck out with an open palm into the respirator of the Tognath, destroying it. Oddly enough, she had no feeling of guilt as it gasped and clutched at it's face. She pulled the blaster from its holster and aimed it squarely at the remaining of Saw's rebels, debilitating them. She knew they would all die soon, but she preferred if it wasn't at her hands. Finally she lined up Saw in her sights. With a pause, she lowered it. Tears were starting to brim.

"Open the door. We're all going to die. I'd prefer to die with Cassian."

For the first time, she saw clarity in the old Rebel's eyes. He nodded once. The creature had frightened back some of the way due to the explosion in the distance. She encouraged it's flight by shooting the blue light. If she had to, she would shoot it, but wasn't sure what that would do to Cassian if she did. As the Force would have it, the light did the trick.

As Bor Gullet slid back into it's darkness, Cassian's head lolled. Shooting the restraints away, she half-carried, half-dragged him out of the cell. She cradled his restless head in her lap. His eyes opened as the vibration of the incoming explosion neared, and they wandered the room aimlessly.

"Cassian." She spoke quietly, and was repaid by his eyes finding hers and locking with them.

He opened his mouth to start and she shook her head. "Cassian, it'll all be ok. Just stay with me, ok?"

The captain refused to be silent.

"The beach… Jyn… I remember. The beach… with you."

Her eyes grew wide, and her heart pounded.

"You remember?" She practically whispered.

"The beach… Stardust… a fall… Scarif…." His eyes became unfocused and started to wander again, his mind a jumbled mess.

How could he remember? The world shook harder, and masonry started breaking lose around her. It didn't matter right now. A skull rolled to her side and stared up at her. It was close. Time to start again. She held Cassian close and placed a kiss on his forehead. This time no pretend. It was time to admit who she was now. Who all of this had changed her to. She was ready for it. Forehead to forehead she closed her eyes, as the ground buckled underneath them, and darkness overcame them.

* * *

A/N pt. 2: and so we start fresh again... but to what point will she be sent...? Tune in tomorrow as we find out!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the small delay on this chapter. This one, despite having been hashed out long in advance, I was having a hard time putting it into words and in the right character. Please Please Please give feedback and constructive criticism! It's the only way I can get better! Thanks for all the previous reviews and feedback! Also- if you've got a keen eye, you might catch a reference to another very popular fandom... Anyway! Allonsy!

* * *

The darkness felt… rough. Cassian was surprised that the afterlife had any sensation. But then again, he was surprised to have memories of things that he didn't remember. Or did. Or were something different? A second life? It was all daunting, overwhelming, and confusing. The memory of the beach and Scarif, while when he faced down that horrific creature, were fuzzy and scattered, more like sensations, they now felt real and vivid. Everything felt disjointed. And for the orderly Captain, it was totally unacceptable.

However, he wasn't left with much time to mull over it. A firm pressure on his back propelled him forward, and he fell in the darkness. While the training ingrained his reactions to protect his vital parts, due to his displacement, they were delayed, and he struck the back of his head rather than his shoulders.

Reaching to the back of his head to cradle the painful area, his hands met rough cloth. He grabbed at it, whipping the hood off his head. His eyes were wild, unsure of where he was, or what was going on. As the sound of a familiar chant reached his ears ( _IamonewiththeForceandtheForceiswithme_ ), and the sand beneath his boots, the realization came swiftly. He looked up and instantly remembered their names- Chirrut, Baze, and Bodhi in his catatonic state. No Jyn. Again. Cassian knew that if anyone understood what was going on, it was her. She knew more- he remembered the sensation that made him feel like she was aware of more than she had told. And once more, she was nowhere nearby for him to ask her.

He raced to the bars, but decided not to reach out, feeling the phantom pain in his shoulder already. "Jyn Erso. Where is she?" Even as he spoke, he knew that it was a useless venture. The nearest of Saw's rebels grunted at him and moved to the nearby dejarik board.

Leaning on the door frame, he kept an eye on the guards. If this was going to go the way it went last time, he wouldn't be in here for long.

"Something changed."

Cassian hadn't recognized that Chirrut had stopped chanting. Baze looked to his friend and cohort. "What do you mean?"

"The captain seems to be… feeling older than his age." Cassian's eyes turned to Chirrut, searching the blind man's out.

"What?"

"Jyn Erso seems to be feeling the same way."

"What do you know of it? Do you…?"

"No, captain, I do not. You two, though, feel like a cloth folded over and over again, trying to fit too small of a space. Ms. Erso especially so." The Guardian cocked his head to the side, his eyes thoughtful. "What is it, Captain?"

Cassian had fallen silent, thinking over what Chirrut had said. With the older man's question, his thoughts were clear, and he spoke with purpose, even if quietly. "If I am taken from this cell, make sure he-" he pointed to Bodhi, "-comes with you."

Chirrut's lip twitched into a coy smile, and nodded once. Baze raised a cynical brow, shrugged and leaned back against the wall. The captain nodded once, and slid over to the window to the next cell.

"Hey," he began, his voice as soothing as he could, "hey." Bodhi's eyes blinked, and jerked away from the invisible specter his eyes had been focused on. The young man's eyes seemed to focus everywhere and nowhere, flitting around Cassian, but never settling on him.

"Hey," Cassian reached out and lightly rested his hand on his shoulder. "Bodhi Rook. You're the pilot."

"Ye-yeah. Ye-ah, I'm… I'm the pilot. Bodhi. Bodhi Rook. The pilot." His eyes, latching on to Cassian's suddenly cleared. "I'm Bodhi Rook. I'm the pilot." With a churning sensation in his stomach, the captain felt a swell of empathy for the pilot. He remembered the feeling of disjoint. Real; not real. He was given peace when he died. No, when he reset. Bodhi- Bodhi might never.

Swallowing the wave of pity down, he solidly stared at him. "Bodhi, I need you to listen to me. Can you do that?"

The pilot nodded.

"Bodhi, when these men leave," he gestured to the guardians behind him, "Go with them. Understand?"

Again, the pilot nodded. And not a moment too soon. He heard the cell open, and a blaster pressed into his ribs.

"Up. Saw Gerrera wants to talk with you."

Bodhi sunk back into the shadows, and Cassian prayed to whoever or whatever could be listening that he hadn't just lost the pilot.

* * *

Two Tubes stood in a relaxed pose before Saw Gerrera. It was the easiest way to hide his dissent with his leader. There weren't many things that they disagreed on, but this was definitely one of them. This woman, on the heels of the Imperial pilot, both carrying the Erso name, appearing on the wake of a rash of traitors in their midst. How else was someone to understand this?

Evidently his leader saw some other way.

" _At least test them out, sir!_ " He implored the machine of a man, in their tongue.

"Two Tubes. My friend." Saw wheezed, placing a heavy hand on the Tognath's shoulder. "You speak sagely. It is odd to hear of the behavior of this woman claiming to be the lost daughter. You say she defended the man who killed our men?"

" _She claims he did it in defense of her._ " Two Tubes didn't know and didn't care if it were true. His men died. That should not be without punishment.

"Hmm…" Saw held his chin in his hand, his eyes clouded. "A man is known by his friends," he spoke quietly to himself. To his compatriot, "Keep Jyn held. She is not to come into me yet. I wish to know who she is now. Bring me her friend. Bring me this man."

While this was not the expected outcome that Two Tubes had wished, this may still, in fact, lead to justice for his men.

" _Yessir!_ "


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: still a bit on the short side, but it's getting to the exciting parts again. Thanks so much for everyone's awesome feedback it's a huge encouragement when I see them pop up throughout the day!

* * *

The darkness stayed steady, but slowly the sound increased. It wasn't much of a stretch to grasp where she had reset to. She was concerned that she would be back on the ship, and once more have to tip-toe through all of the events leading to this point. Instead, Jyn heard the sounds of Saw's base of rebels all around. The loud dejarik game echoed from down the hallway. The familiar sound of blasters being broken down and reassembled rattled behind her, with the sharp smell of spent blaster charge, and the oily scent of the cleaner.

All familiar sounds and smells of her childhood. She hadn't noticed them last time, her mind too concerned with how she was going to respond to Saw, making sure her words were exactly the same as she used the first time round. _How many times will it take before I figure out that it isn't going to work that way? Especially if I want everyone to survive._ Intuitively, she recognized that these repeats wouldn't last forever, and that she was living on borrowed time.

Stopped, she felt one of the guards still pressing a blaster into her ribs, making certain she knew that she was not to move. They were waiting for something. This was not out of the ordinary. They had left her waiting last time, and had escorted Cassian in first, even though she hadn't known it at the time. Which meant…

Struggling to decipher specific sounds out of the cacophony, she heard what she was looking for; a struggle, a growl, a double strike of two sets of boots in sand. Still hooded, she waited to hear them at the closest they would get.

"Cassian!" She yelled out, feeling the guard jab her with his blaster, forcing the end of his name into a hiss. He responded immediately.

"Jyn! Jyn, are yo—" his words cut off like hers.

"Yes—" Another jab, this time followed by a blaster butt across her cheek. She felt it split skin. Tamping her instant rage, she straightened herself, lifting her chin, daring her guard to hit again.

"I'm done now." She spoke directly to her guard. Her smirk was clear to hear even from under the hood. She once more fell silent, waiting her turn to speak with Saw. Cassian was safe and sounded coherent. One less worry on her part.

* * *

Cassian felt a wave of relief wash over him. Despite the sound of a hit from the room over, where it seemed Jyn was being held, it appeared that she was safe and cognizant. That was enough for right now.

As for what laid ahead, he knew what was about to happen. There was no need for the kind of secrecy he was used to. All of these people were going to be dead soon. The Death Star would make sure of that.

Once more through the curtain, he stood solidly before the leader of these extremists. The man emerging from the shadows no longer surprised him. A wraith of his own soul was all that he saw. Burdened by secrets, fueled by rage and loyalty, and held straight by pure stubborn will. _Maybe it's for the better that I won't reach his age,_ Cassian darkly mused.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Saw spoke directly.

"I will tell you, but only you. Your lieutenant in the shadows will have to leave. You know I have no weapons on me." There was no need to mention his suicide pill in the hidden shoulder pouch. That was only a weapon used on it's bearer.

The Tognath's eyes flashed, and he raised his objection, once more in his unknown tongue. It didn't take much to grasp his displeasure at the idea. Cassian would have felt the same way were their roles reversed.

Saw's upraised hand instantaneously quelled the argument. Replying in their language, he gestured with his chin. Two Tubes growled and moved towards the door. Taking one last baleful glare at the captain, he disappeared out of the room.

"Now," the older man began again, "Once more I ask. Who are you, and why are you here?"

"Were I to answer that in the way I was taught, I would tell you that my name is Joreth Sward. It is not. My name is Cassian Andor, and I am an intelligence officer in the Rebel Alliance. According to the record, I am here to extend a hand of partnership to you from the Alliance. However, my ultimate goal is to find out what you have learned about the message sent by Galen Erso, through the Imperial pilot you have in captivity."

The Rebel leader's face was contorted into a strange mask.

"Why do you speak so frankly? How am I to believe you?"

The younger man's shoulders dropped, and even Saw could see years of wear far beyond his age rest on his face.

"What have I got to lose? I have given you information that could ruin me. I am tired. I don't have much to protect anymore." _All I have left are the lies I have used to isolate myself._

"If you speak truth, then I ask you one more question- one that's been plaguing me. I have known Jyn Erso from her youth. I trained her. We have a saying- 'no man is worth the many'. You killed many for the one. That is the opposite of what she knows. Yet, she not only aligns herself with you, she defends your choice. That is not the Jyn Erso I helped form. I must know— why did you risk your chance to reach me, to achieve your goal, for her life?"

"Because a cause starts with one. One person, one ideal, one dream, one hope. If your casualties pile up over your rescued, then you have lost. My casualties have piled too high. I believe Jyn can be one person to start a change. I saw it when she saved a young girl in the crossfire between your men and the Imperials, and nearly died in the midst of doing so."

Saw stared hard at Cassian. The brutal honesty of the man before him was both refreshing and disturbing. Only one thing was left to do. One last check and balance. He yelled out to his lieutenant, and Two Tubes appeared from the curtained door way.

"Bring Jyn Erso to me."

* * *

A/N pt.2 :It was fun to right from a Cassian perspective in this one. I had to listen to a good chunk of depreciating music to get his mood right... Figured he'd react to knowing the possible future a hair bit differently. Especially after reading the novelization... Let me know if you think I hit it right, or if I was off- As always- please let me know! Thanks again for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: again, another shortie. This one was pulling teeth to get through, even though I saw the movie again over the weekend (that makes 4- hoping to break the record I had with TFA, which was 5.) Let me know what you guys think... I know- it's more dialogue.  
/As you know, the exciting stuff happens in just a little bit... thanks for both your patience and reviews. Next one will definitely be longer! (I probably should have either waited and put this one with the next chapter or finished it before and put  
/it with the last one. Or something.)

* * *

"Hello Saw."

The older man's eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure what he read in Jyn's face. It appeared to be a jumble of emotions, rendering her inscrutable. There was anger, sadness, melancholy, and... resignation?

"Jyn, you are a sight for weary eyes."

A corner of her mouth twitched. "I'm glad you're ok, Saw."

She turned to Cassian, slight surprise in her eyes. _This is a first. Cassian's here still._ she thought. "Hello, captain. Glad you're in one piece still."

His eyes were staring her down, trying to read her face. It was hard to tell what she was thinking- a common problem in regards to her. A random thought passed through his mind: most would have a hard time winning against her in Sabacc. He wouldn't, though.  
/Even as he watched her, something broke loose and came to the surface. A small twitch at her lips or a slight drop in her shoulders- he couldn't pinpoint. Either way, she softened slightly, allowing some relief through.

His worry that he had lost his mind for a moment, passed. She remembered that this was not their first time here too.

Nodding once to each other, Jyn turned back to the leader of the Rebels.

"Surprised to see me, Saw?"

"It is you! It warms my heart to see you." There was a small sad smile on his lips. Jyn's face churned- sadness and melancholy rose to the surface.

"It has been a long time."

The older man's eyes searched hers. "Are we still friends?"

"Were you to have asked me that just a little while ago, the answer would have been different. But now-" she paused, nodding once, "yes, we are still friends."

"Then why did you defend the man who killed my men?" His eyebrows were furrowed tightly.

"Because he's my friend. He did it to protect me."

"No man- or woman- is worth the many."

"That, Saw, is where you're wrong. Sometimes, one must die for others. But other times- most of the time, if you care enough- you can make sure that everyone survives. We're our roles reversed, I would have done the same as him"

 _Not the first time,_ Cassian thought.

The older man shook his head. "You sound more like your father. Lyra knew what needed to be done."

"And she abandoned her daughter to do it."

He shook his head again.

"You are not here to banter with me, nor are you here for revenge against me. Why are you here?" He raised an eyebrow, both hands clutching to his staff.

"I'm here because you have a message. From my father."

Before her eyes, she saw the warmth drain from his face. The rebel commander, the real Saw Gerrera, rose to the surface.

"This is a trap. What else could it be?" He reached for his mask, breathing deeply from it. "Why else would you know? Unless there's a traitor." His eyes we're busy scanning her face. Jyn knew what he was looking for- any sign of deception. She, for the  
/first time she could remember since she was 15, let down every wall. Every emotion she felt was on written on her face. And Saw knew how to read them.

From behind her, a voice surprised them. They both had forgotten Cassian's presence.

"She found out from us- from me. There was a mole, not a traitor. He wanted to help both of us. The Rebellion and your Rebels-"

Saw's eyes flared, his voice raising, "Give me his name! Betrayal is unacceptable. I will end him."

"- but, he is of no concern to you anymore." Cassian hadn't stopped talking nor had his tone changed. Jyn had a feeling he hadn't even flinched. Then the next few words he spoke both chilled and saddened her. "He died at my hand."

Saw's scowl locked in place, but the fury was tamed. "Then he received just payment."

The rebel's eyes flicked back to Jyn and he visibly softened. "It is only right for a daughter to see her inheritance. Come, Jyn, I have something to show you. You, captain, have both my disdain and my thanks. As such, you will live, but you will return  
/to your friends in their cell. This is for a daughter alone."

He called to his lieutenant, who came and fetched the captain. "Take him to their cell."

Jyn glanced back to Cassian, and he was surprised to see the sadness in her eyes. "I'll see you soon, Captain. Don't forget target practice."

 _Target practice?_ Then he saw the glimmer in her eye. _Ah. Target Practice._ He nodded once more, and then he was escorted from the room.

The young woman turned and swallowed to push down the lump in her throat. Jyn hoped she was ready, but she knew that she never would be.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thank you to those who caught my grammar gaffe, and pointed it out! That's one of the reasons I love feedback! This one's a bit longer, so hopefully you enjoy it! Please Please Please keep up with the feedback!

* * *

Just shy of the cell, the Tognath shoved the captain into a small alcove, the alien's blaster pressed deep into his kidneys.

"You're a dead man walking," he rasped through his respirator. His Basic was heavily accented, but clear.

The captain shrugged. "You don't know how true that is."

"Saw may allow you to live, but I have no reason to. You killed my men. I'm tired of self-entitled Alliance officers hurting my men. You'll be the last one."

"What will you tell Saw?" Cassian was vying for more time, praying for a telltale tremor of the oncoming devastation.

"You resisted. He has no love for you lot eith—" _There it was._ Even as the tremor shook the catacombs, and the cry went out, the captain dropped a shoulder and charged. It caught the Tognath at his waist and doubled him. The blaster flung from  
his hand and skittered across the floor. He knew that any time spent on this Tognath, was more than he could afford to spend on him. As the alien stumbled away, Cassian took one stutter step, and snapped a foot into the Tognath's knee. It bent at  
an awkward and unnatural angle. He screamed as he plummeted to the ground, clutching at the injury.

A cold settled in Cassian's stomach, knowing that even though the Tognath was probably never going to escape the wall of destruction incoming, he had secured the deal. Even as he ran down the hallway, a feeling of guilt settled on him. He forcibly shoved  
it to the back of his brain. It would be dealt with when he could spend the time on it.

He rounded the corner, straight into the holding cells. Their weaponry was piled haphazardly on the table. Grabbing his blaster from the pile, he turned and took aim for the first of the activator switches.

Chirrut and Baze emerged through the smoke and sparks.

"Baze, get the pilot."

Even as he yelled at the guardians, he grabbed both Jyn and his packs, and took off again towards where he had come from. Chirrut yelled after him.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got to get Jyn! K2 will meet us outside." Bazehad a perplexed expression, but Chirrut merely nodded.

At his quickest pace, he bolted back down the hallways, and yanked his com free of his pack and brought it to his lips. Breathlessly, he practically yelled into it. To his reassurance, again, K was on the other end.

"There's a problem on the horizon. There is no horizon."

"Pinpoint our location, and be ready for extraction."

"Five minutes to extraction!"

As he ended the communication, he hoped and prayed that Jyn would be where he left her.

* * *

"Saw, if you're watching this, then perhaps there is a chance to save the Alliance."

No preamble, she noticed this time. Last time it had been such a shock to see her father she had hardly noticed how it began. It felt like he had been talking all along, and she had finally stopped to listen.

"Perhaps there's a chance to explain myself and, though I don't dare hope for too much, a chance for Jyn, if she's alive, if you can possibly find her…" she held her breath, even if this was her second time seeing it, "A chance to let her know that my  
love for her has never faded and how desperately I've missed her."

The bitterness that had characterized her last viewing of the message was gone, and instead, a feeling of desire, of loss flavored her viewing. What he had to say, she already knew, so while her father spoke, she watched him. His eyes were heavy, hollow.  
For the first time in so many years, she allowed her imagination to fill in what life would have been with Galen Erso.

She could see nights tucked in bed, his smile more in his eyes, than on his lips. 

"Jyn, my Stardust…"

She could hear her mother's voice for the first time in so long, calling for them.

"… You may think that's an excuse…"

Her hands dirty in the black soil of Lah'mu, next to his.

"…That I was fearful, and should have died…"

His soft voice, quietly explaining how the plants grew, why the rains were so important, and what the cold rivers from the mountain provided them.

"… In the interests of objectivity, I should admit the possiblity…"

Quiet and comfortable dinners around the small table.

"…History will forgive me or excoriate me, as is appropriate…"

Reading from the small library that her mother kept made of paper and ink, breathing in the smell of age and distant planets.

"… I only wish it would forget me…"

Working her hands, grease-filled, in the mechanics of the droids that helped.

"… My beloved, so much of my life has been wasted…"

Her mother and father dancing to unheard music in the small living space.

"… You make me no less proud, Jyn…"

Showing them both her silly scrawl across paper, depicting the life the three led.

"…If you're happy, Jyn, then that's more than enough…."

Her father's warm embrace, his strong, calloused hands holding her tight. These last few weren't her imagination- she had fallen into her memories. His last words to her, _I love you, Stardust,_ reverberated in her ears. She shook her head once,  
sending the tears that had fallen unknown and unheeded through the dusty air. In that motion, Jyn was brought to the current time and place. The rumble was unsteadying her feet, and while this time her knees obeyed her commands and remained strong,  
it took all in her power to turn to the only other man she had ever viewed as a father. _This will be the last time._ In her heart, and in the thrumming crystal at her sternum, she felt it. Their eyes met, and the two soldiers knew.

Her father's message ended abortively from the wave of destruction inbound, and she was already in motion, snatching up the datacard with her father's message on it. Angrily, she swatted at the tears that determinedly blurred her vision and streaked her  
face. Datacard in hand, she looked up to see Cassian bursting into the room, his hand on his blaster, switching his gaze from her to Saw. Her face made clear that she had nothing to fear from the shell of the man that stood beside her, and he released  
his grip.

"We need to go." He practically yelled at her to be heard over the rumble.

She reached for the captain's arm, but turned to Saw. "Come with us!" Even as the words escaped her lips, she knew his response.

"Go, Jyn! Save yourself. Please!" His eyes were strong but glistening. Finally, he could save his family. All that he had left of it.

Cassian returned her grip on his arm and lightly tugged.

"Goodbye, Saw." Her voice was hardly perceptible. He nodded once.

They both hurriedly turned, and ran from the room, chased by falling rubbleand Saw's final command: "Save the Rebellion!"

It carried the weight of the entire planet.

"Save the dream!"

* * *

A/N:Tomorrow's should be interesting! More exciting events- We're nearing Eadu!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Sorry for how long this took... It's been a crazy few days, and right now allergies in Florida are in full swing (We have had a ridiculously high pollen count) and had some major intrusion of water in the house which has led to mildew, which I have  
/found out I'm very allergic to, and benedryl knocks me out, but is the only thing that works, and blah blah blah... And the cat ate my homework. Anyway. I made it a bit longer than usual, and had planned for more excitement, but some parts I wanted  
/to set up needed to be set up correctly. Hopefully I succeeded. Let me know.

Also- I just want to thank all of you guys that have stuck it out with me in this story. It's ended up being a lot more elaborate and longer than I had originally anticipated, so I'm really grateful for all of you who are sticking it out to the end! (We've  
/still got a bit to go!)

* * *

"For a seeing man, you certainly move slowly."

"Hmph."

"Wait- d- does- does that mean- are you blind? B-but you're leading the way!"

"Hmph."

"Baze, your growls are not soothing our new companion."

"Says the blind fool leading us out of the catacombs."

"He _is_ blind?!"

Through the dust of collapsing masonry, the three men emerged on to a planet in upheaval.

Chirrut could feel the ground move under his feet, the dust and sand pelting his face. In his hand, the kyber crystal at the head of his staff glowed bright and hot. It wasn't the warmth of finding balance, of being aware. White-blue; cool. It was the  
/heat of anger and pain, of betrayal. Red-white; hot. He dived into it, being led by it.

Right and up. It was above the skyline. That was where he was to be. It was blue and green, a soothing band of water in the heat of fire.

Baze knew just to follow. His companion's eyes were fixated on a point he couldn't see. Even as his eyes scanned the horizon he saw what Chirrut's faith had procured. A white line in the sky told him that salvation was inbound.

He huffed on, following the Guardian.

Bodhi did... nothing. The wall of rock, sand and death filled everything he saw, and he... just... stopped. If the ground had reached up and cemented his feet in place he would have moved more. There was nothing but that wall.

Cassian, with Jyn in tow, burst out from the same entrance as the other three. Their pace never slowed, and they never bothered to glance at the wave moving toward them, save to spot his U-wing, making its way swiftly towards them. Ahead, they spotted  
/where Bodhi Rook had frozen before the immensity looming. The Captain barreled into his shoulder jolting the pilot from his stupor.

"Come on!" Cassian pointed at the ship landing, its cargo door already open. Baze and Chirrut were already climbing aboard.

If Bodhi's eyes had widened any further, Jyn was certain they would have slipped from their sockets. It was good to see the pilot again.

The ground was unstable under foot as they neared the ship, but all five made it without falling. Cassian was the last to board, and as soon as his foot hit the doorway, K2 started raising the ship off its landing struts. The captain was at the cockpit  
/within two long strides, and at the controls immediately after.

Bodhi slowly moved towards them, balancing himself on the netting and bars around him. The ship bucked and buckled as the ground moved in ways the ground wasn't supposed to. They were moving, skirting the border of the wave of devastation, barely edging  
/away.

Even though the pilot wasn't as familiar with the UT- class as the captain evidently was, he knew they were not capable of outrunning this destruction.

He only heard part of the back and forth between the captain and the droid piloting the ship.

"Get us out of here, Kay!"

"The calculations aren't finished!" The droid nodded toward the navicomputer to punctuate his statement.

"I'll finish the calculations for you." It came out as a growl.

The captain then did what Bodhi figured was the most irrational rational thing to be done. He pulled the lever for the hyperspace.

With a final buck that flung Bodhi on to his back, stumbled Baze into the wall, and rolled the brunette woman from her seat, the ship shot like a rocket. The only one in the cargo hold to have maintained his position was blind Chirrut.

In the quiet smoothness of hyperspace, Bodhi laughed and laughed.

It was the shallow laugh of a madman.

* * *

The blue of hyperspace hypnotized the lone occupant of the cockpit. She wanted it to. Her knees were drawn to her chest, with her arms and chin resting on top.

"Saw, if you're watching this..."

The remaining five beings in the ship were tightly huddled around the single monitor in the hold. As much as she tried to drown out the words with her own thoughts, Galen Erso's sentiments- _her father_ \- rattled around in her brain.

As soon as they were clear of Jedha, Jyn handed the message to Cassian without a word. She caught the pity in his eyes, and her whole body hated him for it.

Weakness was for the weak.

Despite having a new understanding of her father, and maybe even a level of forgiveness, years of bitterness and anger still teemed beneath the surface.

"Jyn, my Stardust…"

She screwed her eyes shut, forcibly focusing on any sound but that of her father's voice.

* * *

Chirrut saw it all.

There was a time when colors were crisp and clear, and he could see the world as any humanoid could.

He preferred this sort of vision. This was an honest form, leaving nothing hidden. Colors swirled in hazy forms, like ink in water. The red hot of Jyn had cooled slightly, turning to mauves, distant from the rest. Cassian's navy blues swirled with grays,  
/his worry slipping in and out of focus. There was more about them, but he pushed it aside to focus on the rest surrounding them. The pilot— Bodhi, was it?— shone with gold, his heart pure of intent. He liked this pilot already. Chirrut was saddened  
/to see the young man was frayed at the edges. It was a fresh wound. Perhaps it was what broke the man's spirit, at the hands of this Saw Gerrera. As stolid and comforting as ever was his faithful companion, Baze. His soothing greens reminded him of  
/far-flung meadows.

The droid was a conundrum. As with every sentient droid the Guardian had ever encountered, his whole being was a dull brown, much like the moist sands of his home. Chirrut had often had difficulties deciphering between them because of it. There was more,  
/though. Weaved all through him, as if the suspension wires holding him tight, was the trace of navy blues. The captain had done more than reprogram this droid; he had given him a part of who he was. This group of people, the Guardian ruminated, could  
/fill many years of his life trying to understand their subtleties. Over the years, he had met and seen many sorts, and interesting ones at that. But never a group so balanced, or so unique,bound together in an unspoken union.

"So I did the one thing that nobody expected: I lied." The message continued it's course, and most were highly invested in what it had to say. Within Chirrut's mind's eye, he noticed the nervousness slipping into Cassian's presence. He was unsettled,  
/uneasy watching this message- it was not for his eyes and ears. His presence, and Chirrut assumed his gaze, slipped to Jyn often, as she made herself as small as she could, despite how much of her color was being thrown around the space.

The broken man was speaking to a woman he only knew as a child. He had no idea of the woman she had become, and saw only what good things may have fallen upon her. An unexpected weight now rested on her shoulders.

His speech continued, vacillating between vital information in regards to the planet killer— The Death Star— and trying to explain his course. The latter often unsettled the captain, his presence becoming turbulent.

* * *

He felt intrusive. Cassian wasn't supposed to see this, and he knew it. The words he spoke, they were of a regret filled father, hoping to make amends to a daughter he felt he would never see. Echoes of his past flared, of regret filled parents, sorrow  
/over past deeds, and a missing childhood. He once more forcibly pushed them back, into the recesses of his mind. The captain againfelt the urge to glance at the young woman in his pilot's chair. Instead, he stared at the message with renewed  
/intensity.

For a final time, the older man reverted back to the flaw he had placed in the weapon.

"Any pressurized explosion to the reactor module will set off a chain reaction that will destroy the entirety of my legacy. Please, Saw, make my shame no more."

The blue figure turned to the control panel, to turn off the recording, but hesitated. He turned once more, his eyes, a ghostly reflection ofhis daughter's, stared down the viewer.

"I love you, Stardust."

* * *

A/N 2: It was fun to write from Chirrut's perspective, and if you guys like it, I'll write more from him, Baze and Bodhi!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Ok, this one took a bit, and is a bit shorter- There were literally a TON of different ways I could take it from here, but I really wanted to be true to character, and make a believable deviation from the original plot. I also tried to address that there is still the baggage from the original go around, without playing 100% fix-it like I really really want to do. haha... Hopefully I accomplished that all within 951 words. We'll see- again- Thank you so so so very much from all the awesome reviews, and I love all the feedback, both encouraging and constructive.

* * *

He turned away from the screen, his body moving before his mind did. One turn, one step up, and Cassian found himself in the oversized chair K2 frequented. A sudden quick memory of when the droid first sat in the chair, followed up by some calculation on whether he would be deactivated or destroyed in service of the captain. If he remembered correctly, it was a very high number. His body turned to face Jyn, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting against his peaked fingers. He waited for her to acknowledge his presence, but she kept her eyes locked on the unattainable horizon. There was an unmistakable glisten to her eyes, but no tears had slipped to fall down her face. It was only then that he realized her crystal was being rolled between her fingers, and was giving a soft blue glow.

"What next? Do you know?" He kept his voice low, despite the fact that the small nearby crew on the ship had begun to disperse. There was no need for others to be aware of Jyn and Cassian's current state of repetition.

The only response from the young woman was a shake of the head.

"I should contact the Alliance with an update. A whole city was just destroyed."

"Yeah, I saw," Jyn snapped at him. A slight regret stung her, and she shook her head, hoping it was enough to dispel the sharpness of her statement.

"I should contact them," Cassian continued, doggedly, "the question lies in what information I should pass on, and when it should be passed along."

"What do you remember from last time?" Jyn queried.

It took a moment for the captain to follow her jump in discussion. For a span of time, Cassian wondered if he had some leftover damage from his brush with Bor Gullet. He tried to focus on the woman, and see if he could figure out what she was asking, and where she was going with her line of questions.

"What do you mean? Last thing I recall from Bor Gullet? Or from the time before?"

"From when we were on Eadu."

 _Ah, there it is._ He was pretty certain that he understood where she was going.

"I remember crashing on Eadu. Losing communication with Yavin. Having Bodhi take me to the mountain ridge across from your father. Lining him up. Seeing his response to his people being threatened. Making a decision not to kill him, and seeing his reaction to his fellow engineers being killed. Seeing you on the platform with him. K2 contacting me telling me that Alliance forces were inbound, and trying to stop them. Watching them strafe the landing platform." He stopped waiting to see if she wanted him to continue. Worry had colored his response. Cassian was still uncertain where he stood with Jyn. At the end of his life, both times, he had found he wanted nothing but to be beside her. Was it because he had found a kindred spirit in the feisty, stubborn and loyal woman? Or more? It couldn't be less, he knew. But how did she feel? It was better not to address it now, he had decided. There was a real possibility he would die at her side many more times to come, and that when they both died at the end of this all, he would be content with knowing there was an 'almost', rather than a 'never'.

She nodded once.

"Ok, so we both remember pretty much the same order of events, even if from different perspectives. Why were the Alliance forces sent?"

"If we don't report within a designated time, they assume we have been killed or compromised, and use other methods to finish the job."

"When does that counter start?"

"The moment I call in about NiJedha."

Jyn paused to gather her thoughts before diving into her plan.

"Cassian, I'm going to be blunt and straightforward, because I feel like you deserve nothing less than that. I'm going to save my father."

"I know." His eyes met hers, dark and steady. The young woman's eyebrows furrowed in surprise.

"How did you know?"

"Because if I received a message changing my father from a traitor to a martyr, I would do everything in my power to keep him alive." Even as he spoke, memories of his father's new Imperial uniform flashed before his eyes. He swallowed hard, hoping to take the betrayal associated with the memory. Bor Gullet must have left some damage. It had been many years since he had allowed those memories to come unbidden to his mind. It wasn't important to the immediate future, so he quickly dismissed them.

He continued, "The real questions are how we explain why he is alive, and how do we keep him that way."

"Why we keep him alive is simple. He will be able to easily identify the flaw he placed into the system. No one else can. His speed at deciphering the scar may mean the difference between success and failure. How- that's a whole different issue."

The rebel captain leaned back in his chair. "I may have an idea about that."

Jyn nodded, "Good. In the meantime, Captain, I ask you to wait as long as you can before contacting the Alliance. We need as much time as we can get."

"That makes sense. I'll wait till the last possible moment. I'm pretty certain that there's no way we're going to escape a crash landing on Eadu. You?"

"I can't see how we can. Bodhi is who we will have to depend on, and he will have no memory of doing this before."

"Agreed."

"Alright, so whats the plan?"

* * *

A/N 2: Ok, the new adventure begins next chapter...


End file.
